Yes, if we harm ourselves it may emotionally harm others. That's unfortunate, but not grounds for putting us in jail. If it were, every time we stopped dating person A in order to date person B, we would run the risk of going to jail for hurting person A. If person B were hurt by our being put in jail, person A could be put in jail for hurting person B. This would, of course, hurt person A's mother, who would see to it that person B would go to jail. Eventually, we'd all be in jail.... Roughly half of the arrests and court cases in the United States each year involve consensual crimes - actions that are against the law, but directly harm no one's person or property except, possibly, the "criminal's." More than 750,000 people are in jail right now because of something they did, something that did not physically harm the person or property of another. In addition, more than 3,000,000 people are on parole or probation for consensual crimes. Further, more than 4,000,000 people are arrested each year for doing something that hurts no one but, potentially, themselves.
Thirty-Three Years of FFF
Thirty-three years ago, I founded The Future of Freedom Foundation. I wanted an educational foundation that presented the principled, uncompromising case for the libertarian philosophy. I marvel over the fact that there have been people who have supported our work and kept us going for more than three decades. It hasn’t been easy. From the very beginning, we have never ceased taking the ...
Monetary Freedom Instead of Central Banking
by Richard M. Ebeling
The United States and most of the rest of the world are, once again, in the midst of an inflationary crisis. Prices in general ...
Santa Claus and the Federal Government
by Jacob G. Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling
What is the relationship between Santa Claus and the government? FFF president Jacob G. Hornberger and Citadel ...
Free Trade Is a Human Right
by Laurence M. Vance
Did the United States really give China $309 billion this year? Some conservatives think so. Now, it is certainly true, as conservatives regularly point out, ...
Christmas and the Welfare-Warfare State
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Given that it's Christmas time, let's contemplate life without a transfer society or an interventionist foreign policy. Go ...
